1 Samuel 14:6
in 1 Samuel 14Jonathan said to the young man bearing his armor, “Come, let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men. Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armor, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that Jehovah will work for us; for there is no restraint to Jehovah to save by many or by few.
KJV
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 14
Commentary
10 notes on this verseLet us go over - Moved, doubtless, by a Divine impulse. There is no restraint to the Lord - This is a fine sentiment; and where there is a promise of defense and support, the weakest, in the face of the strongest enemy, may rely on it with the utmost confidence.
This site's exposition
let us cross over to the outpost of these uncircumcised men
on 1 Samuel 14:6-7
Jonathan states Gideon’s arithmetic in one sentence, that "Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few" in battle. He calls the enemy uncircumcised, the word David will use of Goliath, and goes forward on "Perhaps the LORD will work on our behalf."
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
Gregory the DialogistCommentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4 · Written before 604.
proposed
What is the garrison of the Philistines, if not the strength of malignant spirits? For holy men, when they prepare themselves for the correction of sinners, openly know that they fight against angels fallen from heaven. This battle, therefore, since it is between angels and men, is fought by the strong against the weak, by the cunning against the simple. For he had received an assault from these strong ones, who said: "The strong have rushed upon me, though neither my iniquity nor my sin, O Lord" (Psalm 58:4).
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Saul had once offended by offering sacrifice himself, ch. xiii. Now he resolves never to fall into that error again, and therefore sends for a priest, and hopes to compromise the matter with God Almighty by a particular reformation, as many do whose hearts are unhumbled and unchanged.
(1.) "They are uncircumcised, and have not the seal of the covenant in their flesh, as we have. Fear not, we shall do well enough with them, for they are not under the protection of God's covenant as we are, cannot call him theirs as we can, by the sign of circumcision." If such as are enemies to us are also strangers to God, we need not fear them.
Uncircumcised - So he calls them, to strengthen his faith by this consideration, that his enemies were enemies to God; whereas he was circumcised, and therefore in covenant with God, who was both able, and engaged to assist his people.
And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
it may be that the Lord will work for us--This expression did not imply a doubt; it signified simply that the object he aimed at was not in his own power--but it depended upon God--and that he expected success neither from his own strength nor his own merit.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
It is remarkable that the epithet “uncircumcised,” used as a term of reproach, is confined almost exclusively to the Philistines. (Compare 1Sa 17:26, 1Sa 17:36; Jdg 14:3; Jdg 15:18, etc.) This is probably an indication of the long oppression of the Israelites by the Philistines and of their frequent wars.
Modern Voices1 voice
A commentator
GK ChestertonTime's Abstract and Brief Chronicle (1904-1905) · Written before 1936.
proposed
The one perfectly divine thing, the one glimpse of God's paradise given on earth, is to fight a losing battle - and not lose it.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוֹנָתָ֜ן | yehonatan | Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַנַּ֣עַר׀ | hanaar | the young man | H5288 → | 239 times |
| נֹשֵׂ֣א | nose' | [the] bearer of | H5375 → | 656 times |
| כֵלָ֗יו | khelav | armor<s> his | H3627 → | 325 times |
| לְכָה֙ | lekhah | come ! | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וְנַעְבְּרָ֗ה | vena'berah | so let us pass over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| מַצַּב֙ | matzav | [the] garrison of | H4673 → | 10 times |
| הָעֲרֵלִ֣ים | haarelim | the uncircumcised [men] | H6189 → | 35 times |
| הָאֵ֔לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| אוּלַ֛י | ʾulai | perhaps | H194 → | 45 times |
| יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה | yaaseh | he will act | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| לָ֑נוּ | lanu | for <the> us | ||
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֵ֤ין | ʾein | not | H369 → | 789 times |
| לַֽיהוָה֙ | layahweh | [belongs] to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| מַעְצ֔וֹר | ma'tzor | a limitation | H4622 → | |
| לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַ | lehoshia' | to save | H3467 → | 206 times |
| בְּרַ֖ב | berav | by many | H7227 → | 454 times |
| א֥וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בִמְעָֽט׃ | vimat | by few | H4592 → | 101 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוֹנָתָ֜ןJonathan
yehonatanH3083 →81 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַנַּ֣עַר׀the young man
hanaarH5288 →239 times
נֹשֵׂ֣א[the] bearer of
nose'H5375 →656 times
כֵלָ֗יוarmor<s> his
khelavH3627 →325 times
לְכָה֙come !
lekhahH1980 →1546 times
וְנַעְבְּרָ֗הso let us pass over
vena'berahH5674 →556 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
מַצַּב֙[the] garrison of
matzavH4673 →10 times
הָעֲרֵלִ֣יםthe uncircumcised [men]
haarelimH6189 →35 times
הָאֵ֔לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
אוּלַ֛יperhaps
ʾulaiH194 →45 times
יַעֲשֶׂ֥הhe will act
yaasehH6213 →2628 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
לָ֑נוּfor <the> us
lanu
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
אֵ֤יןnot
ʾeinH369 →789 times
לַֽיהוָה֙[belongs] to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
מַעְצ֔וֹרa limitation
ma'tzorH4622 →
לְהוֹשִׁ֥יעַto save
lehoshia'H3467 →206 times
בְּרַ֖בby many
beravH7227 →454 times
א֥וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בִמְעָֽט׃by few
vimatH4592 →101 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 8:31What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
it leads to
- Psalms 118:6
The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- Jeremiah 1:19
They will fight against you but will never overcome you, since I am with you to deliver you,” declares the LORD.
- Psalms 56:11
in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
- 1 John 4:4
You, little children, are from God and have overcome them, because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.
- Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the…
- Psalms 118:6
Through
Zechariah 4:6So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of Hosts.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 32:7–8
“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater One with us than with him.
- 2 Corinthians 10:4–5
The weapons of our warfare are not the weapons of the world. Instead, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
- 1 Corinthians 2:4–5
My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,
- 2 Chronicles 32:7–8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); GK Chesterton, Time's Abstract and Brief Chronicle (1904-1905); Gregory the Dialogist, Commentary on 1 Kings, Book 5, Chapter 4; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.